Home > Fabrics > Insulation

Warmth... IT'S ESSENTIAL

Insulations keep you warm by keeping in the heat. When selecting an insulation keep in mind the activity of the wearer. Skiing hard generates a lot more heat than waiting for the bus. Racing around and playing in the snow generates much more heat than sitting in a wheelchair. Also consider the personal warmth level of the individual (some people are always cold - others are furnaces). Consider when choosing your insulation, the question, "What will the wearer be doing in that garment?"

Cut your insulation out of match the lining pieces, not the outer pieces. Do not sew your insulation to the outer fabric...even if the pattern tells you to! (Think about it – you are breaking the continuity of the thermal insulating layer. Each seam would be a cold air channel! Topstitching with that extra bulk is not fun!) If your pattern doesn’t call for insulation, allow size adjustments for the added thickness.

Edge stitch your insulation pieces to each lining piece with a small zig-zag stitch or serge along the edge. Then sew them together as if they were one piece of fabric.

Trim away any excess to reduce the bulk. Do not cut your stitching. The prequilted insulations can “free hang”. For large body pieces, i.e. greater than 24”, add some quilting lines. Just simple straight lines down the middle of the “wide space”, about 12” apart, horizontal and vertical. Use a long stitch.